discord 1 of 2

discord

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verb

as in to conflict
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably the evangelist's lavish lifestyle discords with his professed religious beliefs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun discord contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discord are conflict, contention, dissension, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When can conflict be used instead of discord?

The words conflict and discord can be used in similar contexts, but conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

When is it sensible to use contention instead of discord?

The meanings of contention and discord largely overlap; however, contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When would dissension be a good substitute for discord?

In some situations, the words dissension and discord are roughly equivalent. However, dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

When could strife be used to replace discord?

While the synonyms strife and discord are close in meaning, strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

When is variance a more appropriate choice than discord?

Although the words variance and discord have much in common, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of discord in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Experts say that the 2020 operations were the first time Iran seriously targeted U.S. elections and that the efforts reflect Iran’s desire to find ways to worsen discord in American society around partisan politics and free elections. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024 Full memo from Cheeks below: There has been strong and growing discord within CBS News that needed to be addressed in an editorial meeting. Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024 Easterly said those efforts are primarily aimed at sowing discord among Americans and undermining faith in the security of the nation’s elections. Christina A. Cassidy and Ali Swenson, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2024 Since the film’s release and press tour, much ado has been made of the potential discord between cast members Baldoni, Lively, Sklenar and Jenny Slate, with the rumor mill swirling about creative disagreements and on-set strife. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for discord 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'discord.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near discord

Cite this Entry

“Discord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discord. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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